Katsujinken

2 hours ago, Promo said:

 

So despite him putting the blade in a glass cabinet and therefore protected from anything that could come through the air (well, aside of light) it still is recommended to store it within the shirasaya?!

 

What if you display just the bare blade right next to the koshirae? This way its not on the blade but both are visible.

Again the issue is climate control, mostly the humidity. 
 

Are we pretty conservative about this? Yes. But given the cost of a polish – both in terms of cash and steel – it’s better to be safe than sorry. It is our responsibility to ensure that these blades survive another 1000 years after all. 

12 hours ago, peterd said:

Depending on surrounding climate I think lacquered saya might help. Particularly in damp conditions i think it stops warping and keeps moisture out.

On the contrary, lacquer work requires some of the most specific climate control otherwise it can easily degrade. 

And Japan is a pretty humid place. If lacquered saya did the job, there’d be no need for shirasaya...

38 minutes ago, peterd said:

I personally think old shirasaya is no better than old koshira and like wise new koshira is just as good as new shirasaya, after all internally they are pretty much the same. ? 

One major difference is that the saya for koshirae are lacquered and the shirasaya obviously is not. A lacquered saya is not designed to create, allow, or support the ideal microclimate inside because it’s not designed for long term storage. 
 

There's a reason that shirasaya are nicknamed “sleeping saya”.

As Darcy has said shirasaya are effectively an ancient technology, and there are truly modern climate control alternatives that are arguably better but certainly cost prohibitive. 
 

But either way a lacquered saya is not optimal, especially depending on the surrounding climate. 

6 hours ago, faust1103 said:

@Bruno,

 

The nihonto would have a shirasaya as well a complete kashira (with saya).

 

I was thinking that the nihonto would display better with the kashira fitted on (instead of being in the shirasaya).

I am also worried of screwing up the exchange of the blade from the shirasaya to the koshirae so I was thinking about leaving the blade in the koshirae all the time.

  

 

If you are concerned about damaging a blade (or just making mistakes) when going from shirasaya to koshirae (and back), then with all due respect you are not ready to own a nihonto.

Do you have a club nearby, where someone with more experience could help you in person? 

Please read the material that Grey shared in this thread, as it is the bare minimum you should master if you are going to own a nihonto.
 

Most “iaido” schools are not going to teach you what you need to know in order to properly handle a sharp sword, much less a real Japanese blade. 
 

An antique nihonto should not be stored or displayed in koshirae. 

Yep, I can corroborate Darcy here. My recent shinsakuto purchased from Touken Komachi was shipped via UPS a couple of months ago. 

At your budget I echo my colleagues: look in the for sale section here, or work with a US-based dealer like Ray Singer or Mike Yamasaki (Tetsugendo.com). 
 

Of course any of the well known Japanese shops will be fine, but overall it will be a more challenging (and potentially) expensive proposition due to the time difference, possibly language barrier, etc., etc.

Your goal should be to buy the best possible blade you can get for $10k or less. This could be a tanto, wakizashi, or katana depending on the package. Just don’t be seduced by fancy fittings or a poor sword made by a “big[ger] name”. 

Both Mike and Ray are well suited to guide you through this. 
 

Good luck!

Michael

That’s mid to late 1600s by the way. 

The contents of my recycling bin are worth significantly more.

Ah, of course!

From the Vail Daily: https://edition.pagesuite-professional.co.uk/html5/reader/production/default.aspx?pubname=&pubid=40b4514b-010b-403b-afbb-0ba1cd8007a5

Go to pages 18 and 26.

Thoughts on the signature?

Looks like a blade made by human hands as opposed to machine, but WWII isn't my area so I'm at a loss beyond that.

Bumping this – help me help NMB (and Brian) with a nice donation.  

Free insured shipping in the US, international shipping at cost.

Cheers!

Figured I’d circle back to this thread to say that I finally, recently bought a sword from Touken Komachi, and my experience mirrors the others in this thread. 
 

Tsukada san was patient and helpful, the items were shipped quickly and safely, and they were exactly as described. 
 

I would definitely use this shop again in the future and can recommend them without hesitation. 

Why is the price already $1500? Something about "a fool and his money" comes to mind...

Okay, an update, and thankfully it should be the last one. UPS just notified me that the package was officially cleared by USFWS this morning (and I have the paperwork to prove it).

@Brian I did find those other threads, thank you for sharing them, and thanks to all who have contributed to this topic over the years.

And now hopefully I can add this insight to the mix.

The amended invoice I submitted contained the following information re: the samegawa:

Handle is wrapped in stingray skin (shagreen).

Genus: Dasyatis
Species:  Dasyatis pastinaca
Source: U; (This item is approximately 36 years old.) <-- ['U' is the USFWS code for 'unknown', which is most likely what will apply for shipments like ours because there's no way to know how the animal was obtained.]
Country of origin: Japan

This is the invoice that the USFWS used to clear the package and the genus/species they noted on the clearance form. It was truthful to the best of my ability. 

That said, after more research I now believe the actual species may be Dasyatis akajei. Everyone should note that this particular species is currently listed 'near threatened,' which is something to keep an eye on in the future. If that status changes for the worse, it could become impossible to import modern samegawa, and difficult/risky to import antique samegawa.

All of this is of course only in reference to the USA.

Thanks all for your help.

Apparently I didn’t get lucky and the blade is still in fact with customs, despite what the tracking information says. I had to submit an updated invoice today noting the genus/species of the ray skin and some other information. 
 

Given that this is information no one could possibly know I did the best I could and will hope for the best. Assuming they’re just checking against a list of endangered species there should be no issue. The UPS agent did not seem concerned, but I can’t help but be nervous. 
 

I haven’t contacted the shop yet (Touken Komachi), but if it doesn’t clear tomorrow I’ll have to let them know I’m in a pickle because they didn’t properly declare the contents of the package. Perhaps I should have been more hands on but I figured this shop ships internationally all the time. 
 

I’m happy to have any advice. 

2 hours ago, Mark said:

when i have received items from out of the country through USPS i have never got a bill for import tax/customs.  When i receive items from other carriers i have been surprised to get a bill, usually a few weeks after i get the item.  Antiques should not be charged/billed (here in the U.S.)  but when i got the bill i tried to explain that and dispute it but it was impossible, too much red tape so i i just paid.   Maybe they want the SS so they can use that when they send you a bill later on. 

This is a shinsakuto, so not an antique. I did have to pay import charges as soon as it cleared customs. Here’s a screenshot from the tracking that shows the need for a tax ID #. 
 

Could be new, might be a UPS idiosyncrasy, but it’s definitely real and is triggered by the declared value. 

2 hours ago, Toryu2020 said:

Gentlemen -

There is no difference between a properly trained westerner and a properly trained Japanese employing a Shinsaku-to for Iai or batto. If you visit AOI arts and other websites you will see swords, mostly Shinsaku-to but sometimes antiques specifically outfitted and sold as ready for Iai. While I know of no secret short-cuts used to make shinsaku-to for practice I know that swords made as art swords are made using the best materials and extra effort that is reflected in the selling price.

 

I think Michael has the right attitude, this simply may not be the best place to find what he is looking for. Antiques should not be used for destructive practice and that has not changed. I wish him luck in his search.

-tch

100% this. 
 

I did end up finding a shinsakuto in the end. It’s in iai koshirae with a batto polish. Totally setup for martial arts use, from the beginning.

 
Guess some of us will just have to agree to disagree. That’s okay. 

2 hours ago, Ken-Hawaii said:

I've never had any problem with Customs, nor have I ever had to give my SSN. That sounds a bit fishy.

Not sure if it’s new, but because the package was valued at over $2500 (or somewhere close to that) UPS had to collect a tax ID number as part of their brokerage process. For an individual that’s the SSN. 
 

I initiated contact with UPS myself and saw the package status change after I provided the information. 
 

I was surprised too, but I don’t import that often. 

Kelly Schmidt is great!

Actually, it just cleared customs! Guess I got lucky.

What can / should I do at this point? Just wait and see what happens?

This is a modern koshirae, but probably a 30-40 years old I would guess.

I've got a sword coming over from Japan that is with US Customs now. I had to provide my social as usual, and UPS says Fish & Wildlife are 'taking a look' because of the stingray/same on the tsuka.

I shouldn't expect any problems here, right? Anyone had a sword come in via UPS before?

Thanks!

Actually most folks on this board are financially in your "bracket", Adam! 🙂

However, you will find a preference for quality over quantity because quality is ultimately more instructive over time (especially when coupled with books and trips to Japan, where you are likely to see a lot more good swords).

Just to be clear, 'saku' is not part of the smith's name. It essentially means 'made this.'

Ted Tenold (http://www.legacyswords.com/) is another polisher who is 100% legitimate and does great work. Do you know how to properly care for the blade in the meantime?

If not here is a good primer: http://nbthk-ab.org/cleaning-maintenance.php

Ignore anything about uchiko – you don't need it and shouldn't use it.

Good luck!

I agree with your sensei. Put it in for Hozon after the togishi is done, if you want. Being a local it seems like a no brainer to me. Interesting piece!